Man gets life sentence in killing involving lawn mowing dispute

TUSCUMBIA, Alabama — An Alabama has been sentenced to life in prison in the killing of his neighbor during a dispute over mowing a lawn.

The Florence TimesDaily reports that 78-year-old Coy Edwards was given the sentence Thursday. He was convicted of murder Nov. 8 in the June 2010 shooting death of 54-year-old Billy Eugene Moore.

During his trial, Edwards testified he shot Moore because he feared Moore was going to run over him with a riding lawn mower. Edwards testified he had asked Moore to not cut grass on the property Edwards was renting on U.S. 43 north of Littleville.

Prosecutors contended Moore did nothing to provoke the shooting and called Edwards a cold-blooded murderer.

At Thursday's sentencing hearing, Colbert District Attorney Bryce Graham Jr. asked Hughston to impose a sentence that would ensure Edwards never leaves prison.